Confessions of a Grieving Mother Emma's Footprints

Type of Loss: Early-term loss, Life-limiting diagnosis, Infant loss

More about Emily's Story: Listen as Emily shares her journey to motherhood with us. She shares her difficult journey to get pregnant and then how her first pregnancy ended in an early term loss. Her second pregnancy resulted in the healthy delivery of her, now 3, year old son Rhett. Her third pregnancy was not planned but they were very excited about it. Unfortunately, their excited soon turned to fear and anxiety when they were told their baby had genetic abnormalities. Their son Dylan was officially diagnosed with Trisomy 18p monosomy q. Dylan was born at 37 weeks gestation and passed away about 48 hours after birth at home.

Follow Emily's blog: joyinthechaos.com

Learn more about Emma's Footprints:


⁠⁠www.EmmasFootprints.com⁠⁠
Facebook: @EmmasFootprints
Instagram: @EmmasFootprints

Type of Loss: Life-limiting diagnosis, Infant loss

More about Kathy's Story: Listen as Kathy shares her sweet Jonathan with us. Kathy talks about how her pregnancy was closely monitored because Jonathan had Down Syndrome. After birth, Kathy explains how she knew almost immediately that something was not right. Jonathan ended up being diagnosed with a rare infantile epilepsy. He spent 5 weeks in a children's hospital before passing at almost 2 months old.

Learn more about Emma's Footprints:


⁠www.EmmasFootprints.com⁠
Facebook: @EmmasFootprints
Instagram: @EmmasFootprints

Listen as Tracy and Julie dive into the details of our 2024 Memorial Walks. We encourage you to create a team in memory of your baby. It gives you a space to say your baby's name, shed tears and acknowledge where you are at in your grief journey. Use the links below to register your team!



𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:


Thursday, September 12 - Sunday, September 15, 2024
Wherever YOU live - Your neighborhood, local park or anywhere you can walk!
Register your team here: https://bit.ly/VirtualMemorialWalk24

𝗣𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘀𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗵, PA Memorial Walk Details:


Sunday, September 8 at 9:00 a.m.
North Park, Allison Park, PA
Register your team here: https://bit.ly/PittMemorialWalk24

Erie, PA Memorial Walk Details:


Sunday, September 22 at 9:00 am
Penn State Behrend [4701 College Dr. Erie, PA 16563]
Register your team here: https://bit.ly/ErieMemorialWalk24

Melbourne, FL Memorial Walk Details:


Saturday, September 28 at 8:00 a.m.
WICKHAM PARK [2500 Parkway Dr, Melbourne, FL 32935]
Register your team here: https://bit.ly/MelbourneMemorialWalk24

Type of Loss: Stillborn

More about Jenna's Story: Jenna's second pregnancy with her daughter Julianna (Jules), was what she considered a textbook pregnancy and moved through the typical milestones until Jules' movement was not as consistent or as strong as expected. Although everything along the way had been fine, Jenna couldn't shake this feeling that something wasn't right. Jenna went in for a check up to be told the devastating news that Jules no longer had a heartbeat. Find out how Jenna has turned her pain into purpose with a research survey to help other loss families.



Parent to Parent Advice Survey:

After her second daughter, Julianna was stillborn in May 2023, Jenna started researching bereavement care to honor Julianna and help the loss community. There is currently very little research on parent advice to new loss parents. The first research project is a survey that takes 20-40 minutes to complete, depending on the level of detail provided in responses and asks questions about demographics, time at the hospital, and early grief.

The goal of this study is to reduce the chances that parents say, “I wish I would have…” Please consider participating in this research.

If you had your baby was stillborn, no matter the amount of time that has passed since birth, please consider completing the survey below to help other families: https://elmhurst.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6yY97I3qSsviPOu

Learn more about Emma's Footprints:


www.EmmasFootprints.com
Facebook: EmmasFootprints

Type of Loss: Vanishing Twin, Early-Term Loss

More about Meagan's Story: Meagan and her husband's first pregnancy with their son, Oliver, was what she described as a textbook pregnancy. Together, Meagan and her husband, decided they wanted their children to be close in age. When Oliver was about 8 months old, they made the decision to try for their second child. They quickly found out they were expecting...TWINS! They were absolutely shocked but excited to learn they were pregnant with not one but two babies. At Meagan's first appointment, the tech told them one of the baby's was measuring slightly smaller than the other, but still had a strong heartbeat. They also found out they were mono-mono twins. At a follow up appointment two weeks later to check on the smaller twin, they were informed their baby no longer had a heartbeat.

Learn more about Emma's Footprints:


⁠www.EmmasFootprints.com⁠
Facebook: @EmmasFootprints
Instagram: @EmmasFootprints

Type of Loss: Stillbirth

More about Lindsey's Story: In this episode, Tracy and Julie talk with Lindsey Henke a psychotherapist, author, speaker and loss mama.

In 2012, Lindsey was freshly married and a newly practicing psychotherapist when she found out she is pregnant with her first child. After a perfect pregnancy, Lindsey went into labor—only to be told upon arrival at the hospital that her baby has no heartbeat.

After the stillbirth of her daughter, Lindsey grappled with the unbearable agony of losing a child. Over the next year and half, as she mourned the loss of one child while simultaneously trying to hold space for the joy of expecting another baby, she learned that grief can live side by side with joy.

When Skies Are Gray offers a poignant message to any mother who is grieving: Your pain is real. The sharp ache of the grief you feel will soften over time, though your love for the child you lost will always remain. And it’s okay to feel that love; it’s a mother’s love, and like lullabies, a mother’s love never dies.

Lindsay's Resources:


https://lindseymhenke.com
Purchase Lindsay's Book: When Skies Are Gray
Pregnancy After Loss Support
Download the Pregnancy After Loss Support App

Learn more about Emma's Footprints:


www.EmmasFootprints.com
Facebook: @EmmasFootprints
Instagram: @EmmasFootprints